William McKinley High School | Glee TV Show Wiki | Fandom powered by Wikia William McKinley High School William McKinley High School for the Arts Type: Principal Figgins (former) William McKinley High School for the Arts is a fictional school and one of the main settings in the show. The school is named after William McKinley , the 25th President of the United States, who was born in Niles, Ohio. The school is supposed to be located in the city of Lima, Ohio , however no school in Lima is actually named McKinley. In Ohio, there are McKinley High Schools in Canton and Niles. Many of the location scenes at McKinley were filmed at Juan Rodriguez Cabrillo High School in Long Beach, California and Helen Bernstein High School in Los Angeles, California, though auditorium scenes were filmed at a replica of the Cabrillo auditorium on the Paramount lot. The school mascot is the Titans, and the school colors are red and black. In Dreams Come True , the school becomes arts-oriented after Superintendent Harris made a pitch to the school board following New Directions' victory at the 2015 Nationals competition.

Contents [ show ] Facilities The school has many classrooms, a faculty lounge, a music room and an auditorium named The Finn Hudson Auditorium . Sports facilities include a football field and track, a baseball field, a gymnasium, and a weight room. Staff *Didn't graduate; dropped out **Transferred; graduated from a different school Extracurricular Activities The school's Glee Club was called New Directions , and ran for four years (from 2009 to 2013, 2014 - present) and in their first year, they won Sectionals but lost Regionals to Vocal Adrenaline . The next year they tied with The Warblers at Sectionals and beat them and Aural Intensity at Regionals, but failed to place at Nationals . For there third year, they blazed through Sectionals and Regionals, and also prevailed in defeating Vocal Adrenaline for first place. For their final year, they lost Sectionals, but, due to a technicality, they were allowed to advance to Regionals, which they won, and at the 2013 Nationals, they lost to Throat Explosion.

Rachel Berry and Kurt Hummel , two graduated members, rebooted the glee club (with the same name) the next year (which is 2014). It was later seen in the second part of the series finale ( Dreams Come True ) that the New Directions won the 2015 Nationals, their second victory ever. This victory assured New Directions' permanent status in the school and even changed the school's main orientation: the Arts, as said by Superintendent Harris . In consequence, three more glee clubs were created (which includes the revival of The Troubletones ), Will becomes the new Principal, and Sam is appointed as the new director of the club, which now has more than thirty members. The cheerleading squad are called the Cheerios and are very successful, having won Nationals seven times in a row. Unlike the cheerleaders, the football team wasn't successful, until Coach Shannon Beiste came and taught the team about winning. The school also has a basketball and hockey team but there is little known about them. We do know that Dave Karofsky was on the hockey team and Finn , Matt , Puck , Ryder , and Jake are/were on the basketball team.

Active Glee TV show Series status: Ended Performers include: Dianna Agron, Chris Colfer, Jessalyn Gilsig, Jane Lynch, Jayma Mays, Kevin McHale, Lea Michele, Cory Monteith, Matthew Morrison, Amber Riley, Mark Salling, Jenna Ushkowitz, Naya Rivera, Ben Bledsoe, Patrick Gallagher, Iqbal Theba, Aaron Hendry, Josh Sussman, Jennifer Aspen, Ken Choi, Dijon Talton, Harry Shum Jr. Kent Avenido, Earlene Davis, David Pearl, and Norma Jean Riddick. TV show description: The Glee Club at McKinley High School used to be at the top of the show choir world but, after a series of scandals, it’s now become an unpopular haven for social outcasts. Optimistic teacher Will Schuester (Matthew Morrison) pleads with the principal to let him take over teaching the group, to try to return the club to its former glory.

It’s a tall order when the brightest stars of the pitch-imperfect club include Kurt (Chris Colfer), a nerdy soprano with a flair for the dramatic; Mercedes (Amber Riley), a dynamic diva-in-training who refuses to sing back-up; Arty (Kevin McHale), a geeky guitarist who is confined to a wheelchair; and Tina (Jenna Ushkowitz), an awkward girl who needs to suppress her stutter before she can take center stage. Will’s only hope lies with two true talents. Rachel Berry (Lea Michele) is a perfectionist who is convinced that show choir is her ticket to stardom. Finn Hudson (Cory Monteith) is a popular high school quarterback with movie star looks and a Motown voice. While he enjoys singing, he feels like he needs to hide his interest from his holier-than-thou girlfriend, Quinn (Dianna Agron), and his arrogant teammate, Puck (Mark Salling). Driven by his secret past, Will is determined to do whatever it takes to make Glee great again, even though everyone around him thinks he’s crazy.

He’s out to prove them all wrong — including his self-centered, craft-obsessed wife, Terri (Jessalyn Gilsig), and McKinley’s dour cheerleading coach, Sue Sylvester (Jane Lynch). The one person who believes in Will is Emma Pillsbury (Jayma Mays), the school’s guidance counselor who has a secret crush on idealistic Will. Series Finale: Episode #121 Dreams Come True The finale opens with New Directions winning Nationals once again. As a result, McKinley is converted into a performing arts school and Will is named as principal. He expands the show choir to create other vocal groups and appoints Sam as the New Directions coach. The original New Directions alumni gather for a final time to say goodbye to both the school and to each other. Mercedes announces that she has been chosen as the opening act for Beyoncé’s world tour. Kurt and Blaine find Sue in Will’s office and they thank her for getting them back together. She thanks Kurt for all she learned from watching him, then makes up with Becky, and sings a song to thank and say goodbye to Will.

Flash forward five years and we find Vice President Sue Sylvester talking to Geraldo Rivera as Jeb Bush wins his second term as President. Kurt and Blaine move back to New York and five years later, we find they are theatre actors (co-starring in the first gay production of Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf). They also visit schools and spread messages of acceptance and equality to young children. Rachel sings a farewell song (written by Darren Criss) as she leaves McKinley. Five years later, we find Artie and Tina as a couple in New York. Tina starred in a film that Artie directed/wrote that’s to premiere at the Slamdance Film Festival. On the way to Rachel’s home in New York, they meet successful singing artist Mercedes (she’s still single and Sam is still calling her) and couple Kurt and Blaine. Rachel is very pregnant with Kurt and Blaine’s child as their surrogate and is getting ready to attend the Tony Awards as a nominee. She’s accompanied by her very supportive husband and director, Jesse St. James. Will and his family and several former classmates watch in Ohio as she wins her first Tony.

Rachel thanks her dads, her friends, NYADA dean Carmen Tibideaux for letting her back into school, and most of all Will Schuester. As Will tears up, someone on his left hands him a tissue. The camera pulls back and we see that it’s Sue. Sometime later, Vice President Sue gives a speech at McKinley High’s auditorium and rededicates the auditorium in Finn Hudson’s name. In her speech, she recalls her early opinions of the school’s glee club and admits how wrong she was. Will, Emma, Terri (?), Burt, Carole, and Figgins sit in the audience. Many students from the past come out on stage and sing a final song. They include Rachel, Kurt, Blaine, Mercedes, Artie, Tina, Brittany, Santana, Sam, Quinn, Puck, Mike, Kitty, Jake, Ryder, Unique, Karofsky, Lauren, Roderick, Joe, Sugar, Mason, Alistair, Becky, Jane, Spencer, and Matt (from the first season). They are joined by the adults in the audience. First aired: March 20, 2015. What do you think? Do you like the Glee TV show?

Do you think it should have ended or continued for a seventh season? Glee (TV Series) | Glee TV Show Wiki | Fandom powered by Wikia The Glee Project Glee is an American musical comedy-drama television series that aired on the Fox network in the United States from May 19, 2009 to March 20, 2015. It focuses on the fictitious William McKinley High School Glee club , New Directions, which competes on the show choir competition circuit while its disparate members deal with relationships, sexuality, social issues, and learning to become an effective team. The initial twelve-member cast included club director and Spanish teacher Will Schuester ( Matthew Morrison ), cheerleading coach Sue Sylvester ( Jane Lynch ), guidance counselor Emma Pillsbury ( Jayma Mays ), Will's wife Terri ( Jessalyn Gilsig ), and eight club members played by Dianna Agron , Chris Colfer , Kevin McHale , Lea Michele , Cory Monteith , Amber Riley , Mark Salling , and Jenna Ushkowitz . In subsequent seasons, the main cast has expanded to fourteen and fifteen members.

The series was created by Ryan Murphy , Brad Falchuk , and Ian Brennan , the last of whom first conceived of Glee as a film. The three wrote all of the show's episodes for the first two seasons, and Murphy and Falchuk initially served as the show's main directors. The pilot episode was broadcast on May 19, 2009, and the first season aired from September 9, 2009, to June 8, 2010. Subsequent seasons aired in September through May. The sixth and final season is set to air from January to March 2015. Glee features on-screen performance-based musical numbers that are selected by Murphy, who aims to maintain a balance between show tunes and chart hits, and produced by Adam Anders and Peer Åström. Songs covered in the show are released through the iTunes Store during the week of broadcast, and a series of Glee albums have been released by Columbia Records. The music of Glee has been a commercial success, with over thirty-six million digital single sales and eleven million album sales worldwide through October 2011.

The series' merchandise also includes DVD and Blu-ray releases, an iPad application, and karaoke games for the Wii. There were live concert tours by the show's cast after the first and second seasons completed shooting; a concert film based on the 2011 tour, Glee: The 3D Concert Movie , was produced by Murphy and Fox and directed by Kevin Tancharoen. During its first season, Glee received generally favorable reviews from critics, with Metacritic's weighted average of 77 out of 100 based on eighteen critical reviews. The season was nominated for nineteen Emmy Awards, four Golden Globe Awards, six Satellite Awards and fifty-seven other awards, with wins including the 2010 Golden Globe Award for Best Television Series – Musical or Comedy, and Emmy awards for Jane Lynch, guest-star Neil Patrick Harris and Murphy's direction of the pilot episode .

In 2011, the show once again won the Golden Globe for Best Television Series, and Jane Lynch and Chris Colfer won Golden Globes for Golden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actress – Series, Miniseries or Television Film|Best Supporting Actress and Golden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actor – Series, Miniseries or Television Film|Best Supporting Actor respectively, and Gwyneth Paltrow won the Emmy for Outstanding Guest Actress in a Comedy Series. The show was also chosen by Fox to fill the coveted time slot that followed the network's coverage of Super Bowl XLV in 2011. On October 17, 2013, in the wake of the death of Cory Monteith three months earlier, and a week after his tribute episode " The Quarterback " was aired, Murphy announced that the sixth season would be the final season of the series. The show's final season premiered on January 9th, 2015 and concluded on March 20th, 2015, airing a total of 121 episodes during its six year run.

Contents Production Conception Ian Brennan conceived Glee based on his own experience as a member of the Prospect High School show choir in Mount Prospect, Illinois. He initially envisioned Glee as a film, rather than a television series, and wrote the first draft in August 2005 with the aid of Screenwriting for Dummies. He completed the script in 2005, but could not generate interest in the project for several years. Mike Novick, a television producer and a friend of Brennan's from Los Angeles, was a member of the same gym as Ryan Murphy, and gave him a copy of Brennan's script. Murphy had been in a show choir in college, and felt he could relate to the script. Murphy and his Nip/Tuck colleague Brad Falchuk suggested that Glee be produced as a television show. The script was entirely rewritten, and was picked up by Fox within fifteen hours of being received. Murphy attributed that, in part, to the network's success with American Idol. "It made sense for the network with the biggest hit in TV, which is a musical, to do something in that vein", he said.

Murphy and Falchuk became the show's executive producers and showrunners, Brennan became a co-executive producer and Novick a producer. Brennan, Falchuk and Murphy started by writing "all the episodes". Glee is set at the fictional William McKinley High School in Lima, Ohio . Murphy chose a Midwest setting as he himself grew up in Indiana, and recalled childhood visits to Ohio to the Kings Island theme park. Although set in Lima, the show is filmed at Paramount Studios and Helen Bernstein High School in Hollywood. Murphy has said that he has never seen a High School Musical film, to which Glee has been compared, and that his interest lay in creating a "postmodern musical," rather than "doing a show where people burst into song," drawing more heavily on the format of Chicago. Murphy intended the show to be a form of escapism. "There's so much on the air right now about people with guns, or sci-fi, or lawyers running around. This is a different genre, there's nothing like it on the air at the networks and cable. Everything's so dark in the world right now, that's why Idol worked. It's pure escapism," he said.

Murphy intended to make a family show to appeal to adults as well as children, with adult characters starring equally alongside the teenage leads, and as of October 2009 he had already mapped out plans for the series covering three years of broadcast. Writing The three creators—Murphy, Falchuk, and Brennan—plan the stories together. For the first two seasons, they were the only writers, and after taking joint credit for the pilot episode and the episode that opened the fall 2009 season, they began rotating taking a single auctorial credit, based in large part on the person "who’s taken the lead in story breaking or who wrote a draft". Brennan noted that the writing process is "fast and loose, with the emphasis on fast", and quotes Murphy as having said, in terms of their roles in episode creation, "I'm sort of the brain. Brad's sort of the heart. Ian's sort of the funny bone", which Brennan says "is true in a lot of ways". Some of the characters are written more by one writer than by the others.

Brennan writes most of Sue's material, and Falchuk frequently writes the scenes between Kurt and Burt Hummel, though Murphy contributes a great deal to Kurt. Starting with season three, a writing staff of six was hired: Ali Adler , Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa , Marti Noxon , Michael Hitchcock , Matt Hodgson and Ross Maxwell. The season's fourth episode, " Pot o' Gold ", was written by Adler, the first not credited to the show's three creators. Adler and Noxon did not return for the show's fourth season and instead House writers Russel Friend and Garrett Lerner, and Stacy Traub were hired. Cast and characters Main article: Cast and Characters Glee featured 12 major roles with star billing during the first season, subsecuent seasons had up to 15 regular cast members. Matthew Morrison plays Will Schuester , McKinley High's Spanish teacher who becomes director of the Glee Club, hoping to restore it to its former glory.

Morrison has assessed that the crux of Glee is "about [Will's] passion for music and influencing his kids." Jane Lynch is Sue Sylvester , head coach of the cheerleading squad or "Cheerios," and the Glee Club's nemesis. Lynch states that Sue is "pure evil and doesn't hide it," having been created as a product of Murphy, Brennan and Falchuk's "inner mean girl." Jayma Mays appears as Emma Pillsbury , the school's mysophobic guidance counsellor who has unrequited feelings for Will. Mays has deemed Emma an amazing character to play, explaining: "I don't find that female characters are always written with a lot of depth, but she's so well defined on the page.

Sure, she's terrified of germs and in love with a married man, so seeing her as the voice of reason for the kids is amazing." Emma's relationship with Will will continue to grow, as "she has these moments of clarity when she's talking to Will because he calms her." Jessalyn Gilsig played Terri Schuester , Will's demanding wife of five years from 2009 to 2010, during the first and second season. Gilsig has stated that things would become sticky as Terri learns of Will's relationship with Emma, explaining: "Terri is a woman of conviction, so she's going to do whatever it takes to keep her man, even if that means finding this woman and hunting her down." Monteith played Finn, a character forced to balance his dreams and expectations from 2009 to 2013. Lea Michele plays Rachel Berry , talented star of the Glee Club who is bullied by the Cheerios and football players. Michele took the role in Glee because of Rachel's characterization, explaining: "Not only is she a singer, but she has so much heart— I think it's what we need on a TV.

A show that is filled with heart and love that is funny. It sends an amazing message to kids about the arts and being who you are." Cory Monteith who played Finn Hudson , star quarterback of the school's football team who risks alienation by his friends to join the Glee Club. Monteith was attracted to the fact Finn "isn't just a dumb jock," but instead "walks a fine line between following his dreams and balancing what other people expect of him." Monteith played Finn during the first four seasons of the show, and he was supposed to return to the series during the fifth season, but couldn't do it because of his death four months prior to the 5th season premiere. Also in the club are Amber Riley as Mercedes Jones , a fashion conscious diva who refuses to sing back-up; Chris Colfer as Kurt Hummel , a flamboyant countertenor who is bullied by the football team; Kevin McHale as Artie Abrams , an electric guitar player and paraplegic manual wheelchair user; and Jenna Ushkowitz as Tina Cohen-Chang , an Asian-American gothic student with a speech impediment .

Colfer has explained that Kurt: "puts on a very confident, 'I'm better than you' persona, but underneath it all he's the same anxious and scared teen everyone is/was at some point. In later episodes, he goes through an identity crisis, accepting and finding acceptance for who he is. [...] He's a tough guy in designer clothes." McHale describes Artie as "what you would call a nerd. He loves Glee Club with all his heart and uses it to escape the big bad world that high school can be just like the other members of Glee Club." He found it challenging to adapt to the fact Artie is in a wheelchair, explaining: "Coming from a dance background, I instinctually want to start dancing or tapping my foot to the music. So, I've been learning how to keep that under control and how quickly being in the wheelchair becomes natural." Mark Salling plays Noah "Puck" Puckerman , a friend of Finn's on the football team who disapproves of Finn joining the Glee Club.

Salling found it challenging to make the character "more than two-dimensional so he can be likeable at the same time," which necessitated "find[ing] the balance between arrogance and cocky and sensible and likeable." Salling gained 20 pounds before filming the pilot episode in order to better embody his football playing character. He then lost 30 pounds for a scene which required him to be toned, which he described as "an extreme experience." Dianna Agron plays Quinn Fabray , Finn's girlfriend who is head of the Cheerios and celibacy club. Quinn joins the Glee Club from the second episode, and is described by Agron as Rachel's enemy, and "terrible, the meanest girl." Recurring roles include Patrick Gallagher as Ken Tanaka , head coach of the football team who wants to date Emma, Iqbal Taeba as Principal Figgins , the high school's unenthusiastic principal, and Naya Rivera as Santana Lopez , a competitive member of the Cheerios.

Rivera drew on her own high school experience of unpopularity to prepare for the role, as well as watching films such as Mean Girls to "really get in the zone and feel like a bitchy Sophomore." The show featured Broadway stars in recurring or minor roles including John Lloyd Young as "a retired wood shop teacher with an excellent singing voice," Victor Garber as Will's father, and Debra Monk as Will's mother. Kristin Chenoweth will play April Rhodes, a former member of the Glee club who never finished high school and ended up hitting rock bottom, Josh Groban appeared as himself, and Cheyenne Jackson also appeared. Other guest stars include Sarah Drew as Suzy Pepper, a senior with a crush on her teacher, and Stephen Tobolowsky as Sandy Ryerson , the director of the Glee Club before Will took over. Whitney Houston was contacted to appear, but declined, so rapper Eve took her place as Grace Hitchens . Casting Morrison was cast after Murphy spent three months observing actors on Broadway. In casting Glee, Murphy sought out actors who could identify with the rush of starring in theatrical roles.

Instead of using traditional network casting calls, he spent three months on Broadway, where he found Matthew Morrison , who had previously starred on stage in Hairspray and The Light in the Piazza; Lea Michele , who starred in Spring Awakening; and Jenna Ushkowitz , who had been in the Broadway revival of The King and I. Actors lacking theatrical experience needed to demonstrate, during their auditions, that they could also sing and dance. Chris Colfer had no previous professional experience, but Murphy wrote in the character Kurt Hummel for him. Jayma Mays auditioned with the song " Touch-a, Touch-a, Touch-a, Touch Me " from The Rocky Horror Show, while Cory Monteith initially submitted a tape of himself acting only, and was requested to submit a second, musical tape, in which he sang "a cheesy, '80s music-video-style version" of REO Speedwagon's " Can't Fight This Feeling ". Kevin McHale came from a boy-band background, having previously been part of the group Not Like Them. He explained that the diversity of the cast's backgrounds reflects the range of different musical styles within the show itself: "It's a mix of everything: classic rock, current stuff, R&B.

Even the musical theatre stuff is switched up. You won't always recognize it." Jane Lynch was originally supposed to have a recurring role, but was made a series regular when a Damon Wayans pilot she was working on for ABC fell through. The cast is contracted for a potential three Glee films, with their contract stating that "[The actor] hereby grants Fox three exclusive, irrevocable options to engage [the actor] in up to, respectively, three feature-length motion pictures." Murphy said in December 2010 that he wasn't interested in doing a Glee movie "as a story", and added, "I might do it as a live concert thing." Glee: The 3D Concert Movie , filmed during the 2011 Glee Live! In Concert! tour, was released on August 12, 2011. Glee has featured as many as fifteen main roles with star billing, after starting with twelve. Morrison plays Will Schuester , McKinley High's Spanish teacher, who becomes glee-club director and hopes to restore it to its former glory.

Lynch plays Sue Sylvester , head coach of the "Cheerios" cheerleading squad, and the Glee Club's nemesis. Mays appears as Emma Pillsbury , the school's mysophobic guidance counselor who has feelings for Will, and Jessalyn Gilsig plays Terri Schuester , Will's wife whom he eventually divorces after five years of marriage and the discovery that she has faked being pregnant instead of revealing she had suffered a false pregnancy. Michele plays Rachel Berry , talented star of the glee club who is often bullied by the Cheerios and football players, but grows closer to them as the show progresses. Rachel has an on-and-off relationship with Finn Hudson starting in season one; they become engaged in season three. Monteith played Finn, star quarterback of the school's football team who risks alienation by his friends after joining the glee club.

Also in the club are Amber Riley as Mercedes Jones , a fashion-conscious diva who initially resents having to sing back-up; Colfer as Kurt Hummel , a fashionable gay male countertenor; McHale as Artie Abrams , a guitar player and paraplegic; and Ushkowitz as Tina Cohen-Chang , an Asian American student with a fake speech impediment. Dianna Agron plays Quinn Fabray , Finn's cheerleader girlfriend, who later joins the glee club to keep an eye on him. Mark Salling plays Noah "Puck" Puckerman , a good friend of Finn's on the football team who at first disapproves of Finn joining the glee club, but later joins it himself. Naya Rivera and Heather Morris , who portray Cheerios and glee club vocalists Santana Lopez and Brittany Pierce respectively, were originally recurring actors, but were promoted to series regulars in the second season. Mike O'Malley , who plays Kurt's father Burt Hummel , also became a series regular on season two.

Gilsig and O'Malley no longer appear on the list of starring actors at the beginning of the third season, though O'Malley will be appearing as a recurring guest star in at least six episodes during the season. Two actors were promoted to series regulars as of the third season: Harry Shum Jr. as football player and glee club member Mike Chang and Darren Criss as former Dalton Academy Warbler and new club member Blaine Anderson , both of whom started as recurring actors, Shum in the first season and Criss in the second. For the fourth season, Chord Overstreet , who started as a recurring actor in the second season, playing glee club member Sam Evans , was promoted to the main cast, while Agron and Mays were credited as recurring guest stars. Many of the original characters graduated from McKinley High at the end of the third season. Murphy said, "We didn't want to have a show where they were in high school for eight years.

We really wanted to be true to that experience." Adult characters played by Matthew Morrison and Jane Lynch will remain to provide continuity to the series, though according to Falchuk, some students—Rachel, Finn and Kurt in particular—will likely remain on the show after they graduate. In May 2012, Murphy said that just because a character on the show graduates high school does not mean that they are leaving, "A lot of people have been writing Dianna's off the show, Amber's off the show — they're not off the show. I think Amber was talking about that bittersweet feeling of, 'I'll never be in the choir room with that exact group of people.' At least that's what she told me ... When I read that [tweet,] I said, 'I think people will misconstrue that.' She's excited about where her character is going. They all are. I wanted to do the right thing by all of them." He then continued: "They're all coming back. Anyone who is a regular is coming back.

Everyone said yes." On June 28, 2013, the media reported that Morris, Riley, Salling, and Shum would be changing from starring status to guest starring roles for the fifth season, and on the following day that Jacob Artist , Melissa Benoist , Blake Jenner , Alex Newell and Becca Tobin , who play Jake Puckerman , Marley Rose , Ryder Lynn , Wade "Unique" Adams and Kitty Wilde , respectively, were all being promoted to the show's main cast. On July 13, 2013, Monteith was found dead in his room at the Fairmont Pacific Rim hotel in Vancouver, British Columbia. An autopsy completed on July 15 indicated that he died of alcohol and heroin overdose. On July 20, 2013, Ryan Murphy said in various media outlets that Cory would have a tribute in season five's third episode, which would deal with the death of Monteith's character, Finn. On July 30, 2013, Mays confirmed that she will depart the show after the fifth season to work on other projects, but stated that she would be open to returning as a guest star in the future.

On July 7, 2014, it was confirmed that Rivera would be placed on a recurring status for the sixth and final season, by her request.On August 28, a website revealed that Amber Riley will once again become a regular along with Dot-Marie Jones while Jayma Mays will be on a recurring status. Many of the cast members have appeared together in the musical Spring Awakening (Lea Michele, Jenna Ushkowitz, Jonathan Groff ) or on the show Heroes (Jayma Mays, Jessalyn Gilsig, Dianna Agron, Stephen Tobolowsky). Episodes Main article: Category:Episodes Reception Prior to the broadcast of Glee's pilot episode, Entertainment Weekly's Ken Tucker gave the show an A, posing the question: "Has there ever been a TV show more aptly named than Glee? It both embodies and inspires exactly that quality." [1] Glee was the top ranked topic on social networking site Twitter on the night of its initial airing.

[2] Alessandra Stanley for the New York Times called the show "blissfully unoriginal in a witty, imaginative way," saying the characters are "high school archetypes" but noted "a strong satiric pulse that doesn’t diminish the characters’ identities or dim the showmanship of a talented cast." [3] The Daily News' David Hinckley wrote that the show "isn't close to perfect" but "has likable characters, a good sense of humor and a reasonably deft touch with music." [4] He called the pilot episode "not very plausible" but "potentially heartwarming," writing of the musical choices: "The duet of "You're the One That I Want" from Grease may be a little obvious, but setting a group dance routine to Amy Winehouse 's "Rehab" shows some inspiration. Whether Glee can hold that note remains a very unanswered question. But it will at least be worth watching to see." [4] USA Today 's Robert Bianco assessed: "There's a lot to like here: the exuberance of the musical numbers, the bite to the comedy and the joy of seeing something different.

It has casting and tone problems, but it has all summer to fix them." [5] The Baltimore Sun 's David Zurawik was critical of the show's characterization and comedy, but was impressed by the staging of "Don't Stop Believing," writing that: "the staging of that song [...] is so elevating and inspirational that it almost redeems all the stereotypes and lame humor that come before. Grit my teeth as I did at how one-dimensionally empty-headed the writing could be, I will still be back for the start of this series in the fall because of its musical punch." [6] Tom Jicha for The Sun Sentinel similarly opined of the episode that: "A lively score and appealing performers somewhat compensate for overly familiar characters and plotting," [7] while Rob Owen for the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette agreed: "It's the music that makes Glee a gleeful delight.

Without the song-and-dance production numbers, this Fox pilot would be just another high-school-set comedy-drama." [8] Variety's Brian Lowry opined that Mays as Emma offered "modest redemption" to an adult cast of "over-the-top buffoons." The Chicago Tribune 's Maureen Ryan commented that: "the two biggest musical numbers are tremendously entertaining. They're shot and performed with verve, and they put to shame those medleys contestants often perform on the Wednesday edition of American Idol," [9] but again observed: "Whether it will work as a satirical dramedy about the cutthroat social environment of high school is another matter." [9] Of the principal cast, Ryan opined: "Casting Matthew Morrison as Will Schuester [...] was a wise move; the actor not only has a sweet voice, but a hangdog hopefulness that gives a needed anchor to the show's more satirical elements.

Cory Monteith gives quarterback Finn Hudson a jock-ish authority mixed with an appealingly square naivete, and Lea Michele not only has an amazing voice, but manages to make her character, spoiled diva Rachel Berry, more than a humorless stereotype." [9] She was critical, however, of Gilsig as Terri, calling her "the worst thing about Glee" and opining: "As written by Murphy and played by Gilsig, the character is screechy, unfunny and deeply unpleasant.

It's as if Ryan didn't trust that the audience would get behind Will and the saga of his ragtag glee club and so saw fit to give the teacher the shrewish, nagging wife from hell." [9] In contrast, Tom Shales for The Washington Post criticized Morrison as Will, writing: "Morrison is definitely not gleeful and doesn't seem particularly well equipped to be a high-school impresario; as pipers go, he's not even marginally pied." [10] Shales was more positive regarding Lynch's performance, and concluded that: "Dramatic tension isn't exactly plentiful, but pleasingly staged songs and a general aura of retro ingenuousness come through, and seem awfully if fitfully refreshing." [10] Variety 's Brian Lowry also highlighted acting and characterization issues with the show, writing that: "It's among the adults, alas — who are mostly over-the-top buffoons — where Glee nearly sails off the rails, from Jane Lynch's tyrannical cheer matron to the salivating football coach, a bit like the Rydell High gang in Grease." [11] Lowry opined that: "Modest redemption comes from the stammering Emma

 ( Heroes ' Jayma Mays), who has a clear crush on Will, even though he's married to his high-school sweetheart.

Perhaps to foster a rooting interest (or at least sympathy) for a Will-Emma pairing, said wife (Jessalyn Gilsig) is initially presented as a ditsy shrew." Mary McNamara for the LA Times has called Glee: "the first show in a long time that's just plain full-throttle, no-guilty-pleasure-rationalizations-necessary fun." [12] She praised Lynch as Sue, writing that "Lynch alone makes Glee worth watching," and opined that overall: "The music, though by no means edgy, is energetic with a wide audience appeal, like the show itself. [12] After the episode "Showmance," the Parents Television Council named Glee the 'Worst Show of the Week'. [13] U.S. ratings #148 3.14 Over the hour of broadcast, the Glee pilot drew an average of 10 million viewers. It began with 12.518 million, dropping after the first half hour from first place to third, retaining only 8.917 million viewers, for an average of 9.619 million viewers.

International syndication In Canada, Glee airs on Global . The premiere was on September 9, 2009, a week after its original airing on Fox. Throughout the remainder of the season, the show will air at 9 PM and in simulcast with Fox. It ran on Global till the end of Season 4 and currently has been airing on City since Season 5. In the Philippines, Glee will air on ETC Entertainment Central starting on September 15, every Tuesday at 10:00PM. And will also air at the said network's sister network, Jack TV starting September 14, every Wednesday at 4:00 PM and replays at 9:00 PM. Meanwhile, Jack TV will first air the pilot's Director's Cut edition at September 13 at 9:00 PM. In September 2010, Glee still airs on ETC Entertainment Central & Jack TV. It airs on Wednesday at 9:00 PM in ETC Entertainment Central & Jack TV. In Latin America, Glee will air on FOX Latin America beginning somewhere on November. The pilot episode has already been aired on Sunday, September 5.

TV3 in Ireland has announced Glee as part of its 2009/2010 schedule. Awards and nominations As of January 22, 2010, Glee has received nominations for People's Choice Awards , Teen Choice Awards , Writer's Guild of America Award , Screen Actors Guild Award , Satellite Awards , Golden Globe Awards and several other awards. The show has won ten of those awards nominations so far. Gallery Glee - Launch Shoot Cut HQ HD Parody/References Season 42 of Sesame Street featured a parody of the show, where Anything Muppet members of their school "G Club" prepare for the "G-gionals" with a parody of Journey's "Don't Stop Believin'." Puppet handlers had roughly 10 minutes to change all the character's costumes during filming of the segment. On The Cleveland Show, main protagonist, Cleveland, decides to watch the show in order to figure out how understand his daughter better. In the segment, primary members of Glee list off various things or conflicts their characters are known for (Puck, Tina, Artie and Quinn are present, but they do not speak).

Will blatantly says "Journey, and Beyoncé, and Boyz II Men!"; Finn debates whether singing is as important as football and girls; Kurt tells Finn things he really enjoys - Broadway and Marc Jacobs jackets; Rachel sings; Sue comes out of nowhere and boos her. (Cory Monteith, Matthew Morrison, Jane Lynch, Chris Colfer, and Lea Michele all voiced their respective characters). In another episode, one of Roberta's teachers is a parody of Sue. On Family Guy, Stewie sings a very off-key version of "Before He Cheats" by Carrie Underwood and says he should be on Glee. In an episode of Two and a Half Men, Alan asks Charlie if he wants to watch Glee, but he refuses. Later, Alan and Charlie are seen watching it together, Charlie explaining that Sue scares him ("The tall blonde in the red track suit is really starting to freak me out"). Afterwards, both him and Alan agree that they love Mercedes. Bryan from The New Normal created a show identical to Glee called Sing.

Many references to Glee are made, such as using props from the fake pregnancy in Season 1 and questioning if a real high school student would be a fan of Barbra Streisand. In YouTube, a user called SimGM Productions makes parodies of various Glee episodes. On How I Met Your Mother, primary character Ted talks to his friend Barney (played by Neil Patrick Harris who was Bryan Ryan in Season 1's Dream On) about a date he went on and how he would never go out with her again because "her favorite band was Glee". On The Simpsons, Cory Monteith, Lea Michele, and Amber Riley leant their voices and sang a parodied version of The Beach Boys' "Good Vibrations" when Lisa Simpson (Yeardly Smith) heads to art camp. In the eighth episode of the seventh season of The Office (US), Erin throws a viewing party to watch Glee's Season 2 episode, "Duets" with the workers of the office, as several of them consider themselves Gleeks.

The entire episode centers around this and even shows scenes from the episode, including a clip of Santana and Mercedes performing "River Deep, Mountain High." Mentions The show was mentioned in the 2012 comedy 21 Jump Street, when Schmidt (Jonah Hill) and Jenko (Channing Tatum) talks about how everything has changed since they were in high school, like liking comic books is now popular, environmental awareness and being tolerant, with Jenko saying: "You know what? I totally know the cause. Glee. F*ck you Glee!" During the "Riff Off" in Pitch Perfect , one of the possible categories the songs the teams would have to sing could come from is "Songs ruined by Glee." In The Middle , Sue says that she is a gleek. In The Simpsons, Bart says he relies on award shows to remind him that Glee is a comedy. In the British sitcom, Miranda, the main character, Miranda tells Stevie to hide her Glee season one boxset when Michael came round.

The show has been mentioned in two different musicals by the theater company Team StarKid, of which Glee alumni Darren Criss was formally a part of: In Twisted, Danny says that he "feels like (he is) in an episode of Glee and everybody is about to breakout into song." In Starship, Commander Up says, "Damn that G.L.E.E.! They're always making twisted abominations of everything," in reference to the Galactic League of Extraterrestrial Explorers. In the movie Bad Neighbours, one of the pledge kids is nicknamed 'Lea Michele, that girl from Glee'. References William McKinley High School from “Glee” | IAMNOTASTALKER William McKinley High School from “Glee” View My Other Posts on Glee My Hollywood obsession as of late is the new Fox musical dramedy Glee. Actually, stating that I am obsessed with the series is a rather gross understatement. To say it’s more of an all-out, withdrawal-symptom inducing addiction would be closer to the truth.

In fact, I don’t think I’ve been this enamored of a show since, dare I say it, high school when Beverly Hills, 90210 was on the air. Let’s face it – I am ABSOLUTELY, WITHOUT A DOUBT, ONE HUNDRED PERCENT, HEAD OVER HEELS IN LOVE with Glee! In fact, the “Sectionals” episode was so fabulous that I watched it three times in a row (not kidding!), mostly because of the big “My Life Would Suck Without You” grand finale number , which was just about the cutest thing ever – especially the kiss at the end! To illustrate just how smitten I am with the show (and its leading man Matthew Morrison – sigh!), I’d like to share the following little anecdote with you. This past Friday, my dad had a minor surgery in the West L.A. area and, being the nice daughter that I am, I volunteered to drive him to and from the hospital. Well, I guess it’s true what they say about no good deed going unpunished because I later found out that Glee would be filming on location on Larchmont Boulevard that very same day. Of all the bum luck!

Anyway, my dad’s surgery went off without a hitch and while leaving the hospital I realized that Larchmont Boulevard was (sort of) on our way home. So – and I can’t even believe I’m about to cop to this in a public forum – I just HAD to stop by. I mean, don’t I owe at least that much to you, dear readers? 😉 So, yes, while my dad was drugged out of his mind on anesthetic, sleeping in the passenger seat of my car right next to me, trying to recover from surgery, I drove over to Larchmont Boulevard to stalk the Glee set. Unfortunately, because they were filming inside of a store, I couldn’t see a whole lot via a simple drive-by. And while deciding if I should park my car – with my dad inside – to venture closer to where they were filming, my conscience got the best of me and I turned around and drove on home. So sad! Ironically enough, though, my mom, who is also a big “Gleek” and who knew about the filming, called me up about five minutes later to ask if I had stopped by the set.

When I told her that I just couldn’t do it because I was worried about my dad, she said, “Why?? He’ll never know the difference!” LOL LOL LOL As the author of the I Am A TV Junkie blog said recently of his own Glee addiction, “It’s becoming a little ridiculous. I may have to join a support group.” Well, if you find one, TV Junkie, please sign me up, as well! Until that time, though, I figure if you can’t beat ‘em, stalk ‘em! So, this weekend I headed down to Juan Rodriguez Cabrillo High School in Long Beach, which stands in for William McKinley High School on Glee. Juan Rodriguez Cabrillo High School is featured extensively on Glee. In fact, according to this article , filming takes place there on a very regular basis. The areas of the school which appear in the series include the football field, track, and bleachers, which were unfortunately completely locked up at the time; the staff parking lot area, which is located directly in front of the gym; and the outdoor stairwell located just to the left of the gym.

(Please excuse the above photographs – the position of the sun was making it very difficult to take pictures that day.) The Cabrillo High School location that I most wanted to stalk was the arched-over outdoor hallway where Emma and Will shared a brief chat in the episode entitled “Showmance”. Ironically enough, that outdoor hallway can be found at the top of that very same staircase located to the left of the gym, but unfortunately, I didn’t realize that until after I got home and re-watched the episode. While stalking Cabrillo, I was lucky enough to run into two teachers who could NOT have been nicer and even went so far as to point out all the areas of the school used on Glee. Both teachers I spoke with were quite amused over my excitement at seeing the Glee locales in person, especially since one of the them had yet to ever even watch the show! I tried to explain to him that not watching a series that regularly films at his workplace is tantamount to sacrilege in my eyes, but I don’t think he much cared.

Most of the filming of Glee is relegated to the one small section of Cabrillo High’s 64-acre campus (and no, that’s not a typo, the school actually measures a whopping 64 acres!) pictured above. The football field, staff parking lot, and gym, which are all located near the school’s main entrance just off of West Willard Street, are denoted with pink circles in the above aerial image. A more close-up view of the staff parking lot is pictured above. According to the teachers I spoke with, several interior areas of the school, which I unfortunately could not stalk, are also used on Glee, including the cafeteria; and the auditorium. You can see interior photographs of the school here . From what I understand, though, McKinley High’s gym is actually located on the campus of another school altogether – Helen Bernstein High School in Los Angeles. And a little bit of Glee trivia for you – according to one of the teachers I spoke with, Cabrillo High’s real life steel drum band was featured in the series’ pilot episode in the scene pictured above. So cool!

Besides regular episodic filming, a photo shoot with the cast of Glee was also recently held at the school, which you can watch a behind-the-scenes video of here . Cabrillo High School has also been featured in Dodgeball: A True Underdog Story, The Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift, an episode of the television series Bones, and both Cheaper by the Dozen movies. Until next time, Happy Stalking! Stalk It: Juan Rodriguez Cabrillo High School, aka William McKinley High School from Glee, is located at 2001 Santa Fe Avenue in Long Beach. Please remember that even though Cabrillo is a “public” school, it is still considered private property. Take good care not to trespass, especially when students are present. If you do want to visit the school, I suggest doing so on a Saturday or Sunday, and always ask permission from a faculty member before gaining access to the property. 'Glee' pilot hits the high notes in its high school - The Boston Globe | Text size – + 'Glee" is a funny word. It's onomatopoetic, so you can't hear it without sensing joy for a split second.

And you can't say it without singing - "eeee" - ever so slightly. "Glee" is the perfect name for Fox's appealing new high school series, which is filled with joy and song. It's the latest iteration of that eternally uplifting "Let's Put on a Show" genre, and if you're a fan of "Fame," "Hairspray," or "High School Musical," this scripted dramedic take on glee club is totally for you. Fox appears to understand the great audience potential of "Glee": The network is running a preview episode tonight after "Idol," at 9 on Channel 25, but then holding back the series until the fall to engender a summer of buzz and anticipation. It knows viewers of "Idol" are already inclined to enjoy song-and-dance and the race for fame. While "Glee" traffics in teen do-what-you-love message-pushing, and while it predictably urges kids to reject narrowly defined "jock" or "nerd" boxes, the Ohio-set show is not exactly wholesome. It's better than wholesome.

Ryan Murphy, the guy behind "Nip/Tuck," is the "Glee" creator, and he infuses all the familiar self-esteem stroking with a hint of the comically perverse. No, he doesn't send the sicko meter reeling as he does on "Nip/Tuck," which has left no fetish unexplored, no body part un-obsessed-over. But the performance sequences revolve around such unlikely hits as "Rehab," the theme of fame worship is satirized, and the teachers at McKinley High School are twisted. The first teacher we meet tonight is the sadistic cheerleading coach, played by top-notch comic-ensemble player Jane Lynch. "You think this is hard?" she yells at her girls. "Try being waterboarded." Also on staff at McKinley: a pot-smoking football coach and an obsessive-compulsive guidance counselor who wears rubber gloves to lunch. The show's central character is relatively ordinary: Matthew Morrison plays optimistic Everyteacher Will Schuester, who supervises the McKinley glee club after its leader is fired for inappropriate behavior.

But Will is married to the absurdly high-maintenance Terri, who is obsessed with Pottery Barn, has a crafts room, and implements Wednesday puzzle nights with her husband. Played to self-centered perfection by Jessalyn Gilsig, she's like something out of "Arrested Development." The glee club kids are off-center, too, especially Rachel (Lea Michele), who brings a new kind of likability to the stereotypical teen goody-goody. Whenever Rachel writes her name, she sticks a gold star after it, and yet you actually don't wind up hating her for it. Drama tinges the corners of "Glee." Football player and singer Finn (Cory Monteith - a teenybopper prince in the making) lost his father in the Gulf War, and Will is engaged in a soulful struggle between his love of teaching and his need to make more money. The show has a heart. But the dominant note in "Glee" is comedy, the production numbers are vibrant, and the cast is consistently winning. If Murphy can make the rest of the series as persuasive as the pilot, he may have a lot of people feeling "Glee" in the fall.

© Copyright 2009 Globe Newspaper Company. GLEE Starring: Jessalyn Gilsig, Matthew Morrison, Lea Michele, Cory Monteith, Jane Lynch On: Fox, Channel 25

Question: What is the name of the high school in the TV series Glee?
Answer: William McKinley High School